University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
17-2, 4-1
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Mississippi State
10-5, 1-3
Vols Hold Off Mississippi State, 84-79
January 20, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Coach Green's Postgame Comments
Tony Harris Interview
- TotalCast Stats
- Box Score
- Box Score (.htm file)
| Tennessee's Jenis Grindstaff looks for help as he's defended by Mississippi State's Antonio Jackson. (AP Photo/Wade Payne) |
Antonio Jackson cut the Volunteers' lead to two with a 3-pointer with 27.8 seconds to go.
But Mississippi State, which trailed by as many as 19 points, didn't get any closer as Vincent Yarbrough made four free throws and Jon Higgins had one.
Tennessee (17-2, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) made 13-of-16 free throws in the final two minutes. Harris finished 11-of-12 from the line.
Isiah Victor had 14 points, Yarbrough added 12 and Harris Walker had 10 for the Vols.
Tennessee has won 17 straight at home and hasn't lost consecutive games since February 1999. The Volunteers lost at Kentucky on Tuesday.
Jackson finished with 21 points, Tang Hamilton had 20 and Mario Austin added 14 for Mississippi State (10-5, 1-3).
The Bulldogs have lost eight SEC road games in a row and haven't won on the road since defeating Arizona 75-74 in the championship of the Bank One Fiesta Bowl Classic.
| Tennessee's Jon Higgins drives around Mississippi State's Tyrus Boswell. (AP Photo/Wade Payne) |
Earlier, reserve Guy Gardner hit a 3, was fouled by Harris and made the free throw. Then Hamilton had a driving layup that drew Mississippi State to 71-68 with 2:20 left.
Victor and Harris then made two free throws apiece to put Tennessee ahead 75-68 with 1:40 to go.
Mississippi State had cut a 19-point deficit down to eight with a 14-3 run midway through the second half.
Jackson had five points during the spurt, and his free throw followed by Austin's lay-in cut Tennessee's lead to 65-57 with 9:23 remaining.
Tennessee played the second half without a shot clock over the Mississippi State basket. The shot clock didn't work and couldn't be replaced.
